Bonds of Brotherhood Repost
by Wildhart
Summary: This is a repost of Bonds of Brotherhood, but with edits, please reed and enjoy, old one still up for comparison, but will eventualy be removed, SUMMARY Not what you think an older brother Raised in seclusion returns to the vilage of his birth


Note: this is a repost though I am keeping the original up, basically after doing a bit of editing and fleshing out, I wasn't happy with the chapter divisions. They were basically where I finished writing that day, so I have numbered the parts and you can tell me where you think the chapter divisions should be , as I still haven't got a beta for this, toy lot can be my beta :o), and yes that is a new bit at the end

Disclaimer: **I do not own Naruto or any of its characters, wish I did, but the only one I can say I own is ****Daichi (which I believe means First son, but don't take my word for it) and Aki (autumn, I think lol)**

Bonds Of Brotherhood

A lone figure walked out on to the small crystal clear forest lake his charka control so smooth the water barely ripples as he stands in the middle.

Looking down at his reflection the young man of 19 sighs and reaches behind him for the long blonde brade that hangs down the centre of his back

Holding it out with his left hand his right reaches down and pulls a kunai from the holster on his right leg and with one swift slice, cuts the long hair leaving it loose and shoulder length

He stuffs the cut hair in to a pocket in the sleeveless vest he is wearing and kneels down on the water as if it was a solid ground and proceeded to tidy and style his shortened hair with the kunai letting the water take away and hide the blond locks, leaving no trace of his behind

Once done he leaned forward and dunked his head under the water to remove any stray loose hairs and with a few strokes tries to tame hair that hates to be tamed when short, with another glance at is reflection and a nod of approval he started to get back up on his feet

As he dose this he notices a small red fox poke its nose out from a bush at the waters edge, curious at the humans behaviour, the Vixen walks up and sits close to the edge of the water but just far enough away to not get her paws wet with her head tilted to one side, tail wrapped round her body laying on her paws before her

"What are you looking at?" he asked the fox, she just tilted her head the other way

He threw the kunai at her, to anyone it would have seemed a bad throw as the kunai hit rounded hilt first in the water close to the fox sending a small wave to splash over the startled fox

The fox shook the water from her fir and crouched low and growled at him tail flicking angrily as he stood tying a bandana stile forehead protector in place, the fabric completely covering his blond hair and low enough on his forehead to also hide his blonde eyebrows, the plate was blank in the style of a Wandering Nin, not aligned with any village and not an exile or Missing Nin he walked to where the fox was baring teeth at him

Unafraid she stood her ground as he passed, near by was a camp and as soon as he passed the fox she tore past him and snatched a dead rabbit from where it lay beside the fire and moved away still growing

"So that's the way you want to play it" he said tossing the cut rope of hair onto the fire, "fine Aki I wont cook it for you the way you like" he taped a pot above the fire with the kunai he had recovered

The fox looked from him to the pot and back again making up her mind she picked up the rabbit and dropped it at his feet then stomped over, in what can only be described as a dignified huff, to where a bedroll was laid out tidy and all ready to be slept in. She then proceeded to dig it up to make herself a nest. He was clearly not forgiven

The young man laughed, and started to skin and dress the rabbit

" Sleep now Aki as tomorrow we reach Konaha, and possibly our journeys end" he smiled to himself and watched the red glow shine though the trees as the sun set

$1$

The morning arrived and the man and fox finished of the last of the rabbit stew cold and he packed up their camp

He first packed the cooking utensils then his extra weapons then his bedroll and left the flap open and the pack on the ground has he tidies and cleaned up the fire, and generally erasing all signs that he had camped there, finished he picked up his pack now a bit heavier with a vixen nested in his blankets at the top of his pack

Gently he set the pack on his back and smiled as the fox leaned round and licked at his left ear he reached a hand back to give her a scratch under the chin

"Am I forgiven now? He smiled, as he looked up at the leaves above him at the bright sun shining though today was a gong to be good day, he felt it

The fox settled her head on his shoulder, her usual travelling position and thay set off

It was only 2 hours later the pair found themselves at the main gate to the village hidden in the leaves, kohoda

A bored looking young ninja, with a hair stile that seemed to resemble a pineapple suck to his head, he smiled to himself at the image that created in his mind's eye

"Reason for visiting?" the ninja asked in a tired monotone not even looking up as he filed in the paper on the desk before him

"chuunin exams" the young man answered shortly with a small smile

"Participant or spectator?" The ninja yawned, he had asked this to many times over the last few days

"Participant"

"Representing which village?"

"None, I'm a wandering Nin"

_How bothersome_ the ninja muttered to himself, "papers?"

The young man handed over a scroll, as he did the name on the scroll changed, with out the ninja even noticing, he just absentmindedly tossed it onto a pile behind him to be dealt with later, though now it read Daichi Kazama, the name that had originally been on the scroll was "**Arashi** Kazama"

And with a grin at the Ninja he disappeared with a flash and a rush of wind

$2$

Daichi walked down the street a nondescript form dressed in black pants and a red top he also whore a tan jacket similar to a chuunin vest but without the scroll holders, Kunai holsters on his right and left legs and a fox now sat up, her paws on his left shoulder looking at everything around him

" What first Aki? Food or a bed for the night? The fox looked at him for a second then jumped down from his shoulder and ran ahead "Aki!"

He called after her and set of in pursuit, it didn't take to long to find her, she was sat on a stool at a ramen stand looking intently at a ninja sat next to her who was having a meal

Daichi walked in face a little red rubbing the back of his head as he walked up to the ninja a little embarrassed at the vixen's behaviour. The ninja turned and smiled at him a friendly and open smile even the scar across his nose didn't take away the warmth of friendship that seemed to be held naturally in that look

"Sorry if she is bothering you, she has a thing for ramen, since I raised her on it as a cub" he apologized "Aki" he hissed at the fox

"No bother she is not hurting anything sat there so polite" the sand owner, an elderly gentleman in a white apron smiled at him "un like sum customers" he glared at the ninja

Daichi smiled and sat beside the ninja, the fox on the seat between them

"Are you wanting to eat?" the owner asked

Daichi nodded and asked for a menu, that was handed to him

"So are you here for the Chuunin exams? I'm Iruka by the way"

The ninja introduced himself, as the stall owner prepared his order

"Daichi, yes it was my aunt's dieing wish that I become chuunin or more"

"But don't Wandering Nin have to associate them selves with a village if they chose to become Chuunin, give up the wandering life?" Iruka smiled and pointed at his own forehead protector and the stylised leaf symbol with his chopsticks

Daichi looked at Aki as she daintily picked the toping from the small bowl of ramen he hadn't ordered but the stall owner had placed in front of her, he had recognised Iruka's type immediately, he was the one you could talk to if you had a problem a trusted friend, and given his light but guiding ways that made you whant to tell him everything he was probably a teacher of some kind and a good one with that manner, a good guide and listener to the younger generation, Daichi thought with a small smile, or a good casual non threatening interrogator

"Give up days of being unable to find food for myself or nights of no shelter and a cold hard bed? I will miss the freedom but I made a promise to both my Aunt who raised me, and to my father when he died that I will become a strong shinobi and find and protect my younger brother"

He decided to give him a little information, he didn't want to appear threatening in any way, not with events of the past, Sound had, at one point, been a wandering nin village before is take over and had been turned and corrupted

" A strong and wise path, and your brother, where is he?"

"I have yet to find him, all I know is he lives in my fathers village and the village I was born in before being given into my aunt's care and sent into exile for my protection from my fathers enemies, until I was strong enough to return" Daichi smiled and passed back his empty ramen bowl and Aki's to the old stand owner as well as his payment

He bowed to Iruka, "forgive me but if I don't go now I won't be able to find a bed for the chuunin exams or it's the cold hard earth in the forest and daily dealings with your grumpy gate guard for me"

" Don't mind Shikamaru" Iruka smiled, "he may be a slacker but he is a good shanobi and a good person, if he didn't keep annoying the dignitaries here for the exams the Hokage wouldn't have to keep putting him on gate duty"

The pair laughed and the Wandering Nin walked away with a smile

$3$

Daichi was able to find a small boarding house which would allow him to stay with Aki, usually the fox had to remain outside or hide her self from the residents or owners, but he liked to have her with him as often as he could. she was a good and close friend. He watched as the daughter of the boarding house owner was playing with Aki and a brightly coloured ball as if she was a small bushy tailed dog, it was the fox's behaviour towards the child that had earned him his bed as well as Aki's welcome in the boarding house

"She is lovely" the owner's wife stepped out on to the porch where he sat watching child and fox "a beautiful vixen, how did you come by her?" she asked him

"My aunt owned a lodging house herself and training ground for Wandering Nin, most were friends and taught me a lot, one day while learning my snares instead of a rabbit I had caught a vixen, I nursed her back to health but she remained wild, living under the weapon store shed on the training ground behind the house, never coming to near me till one day, the day my aunt died and I was due to leave for my search for my brother she had cubs a few days before and for no reason the vixen presented me with one, Aki, only a few days old and still blind. We have been together ever since"

"A Buddhist monk once told me she housed a sole of some one from my past, sent to guide and protect me" he laughed " the only thing she usually guides me to is trouble, though she dose keep watch as we travel, well when she feels like it" he smiled thoughtfully washing the child and fox play then up at the rock wall that overshadowed the village

The woman smiled down at the young man as he looked up to the 5 stone faces carved in rock above them

"Whom may I ask are those faces, they must have been important to be remembered that way?" he asked he noticed one looked familiar

" They our greatest, the Hokage, leaders of the village, from left to right they are the first, Second, Third, Forth and the fifth our currant Hokage Tsunade" she pointed to them as she spoke but his eyes never left the forth face carved in stone

He smiled at her and stood, I have to go pick up my entry papers for the exam Aki? He looked at the fox she picked up the ball and placed it by the girl and with one leap was sat upon the young mans shoulders

"Daichi don't you be late dinner is served at 6pm sharp" she called after him

"Aki won't let me be late, never misses a meal this one," he laughed back tapping the fox on the nose and with a burst of Charka he raced off towards the exam station for visiting nin taking part"

$4$

Daichi stood on a roof in a shadowy alcove where he had an excellent view of the stone faces of the Hokage

He looked at the paperwork in his hands the top scroll was the names of all the entrants to the chuunin exams and smiled; his brother's name was there

He then pulled out from his inside jacket pocket a dog-eared photo, it showed a blonde haired blue eyed man dressed as a Kohana ninja beside a shorter red haired woman with forest green eyes holding a blonde baby in her arms.

It was one of only two things he had of his parents, and the second was not to be his but his brothers, he smiled and watched the setting sun shine on the faces carved in to the mountain, giving them a golden glow.

He was sitting down to read though his paperwork again when the call of a vixen right by his ear woke him from his thoughts

"Almost forgot dinner didn't I Aki" he laughed at the seemingly disgusted stare the vixen was giving him and with a burst of charka he disappeared

Un known to him another was watching the monument at the same time, also thinking of the past when in the corner of his single eye he saw a jutsu that he hadn't seen for 17 years, the single eye narrowed in thought and remembrance

$5$

He peeked his head round the boarding house eating room door and winced at every one sat waiting to eat

"Im not late am I?" he grinned

A ladle smacked him squarely on the head and pointed to an empty seat

"I wish I could find where mothers get there strength from, and where they get there ability to know and see all then I would be the strongest shinobi whoever lived" he smiled as he took his place and the table erupted in attempted hidden laughter even the boarding house owner who shared meals with his guests

Daichi smiled with surprise at his seatmate opposite him, it was the ninja he had met at the ramen stand that morning

"Hello again" he smiled "Daichi wasn't it?"

"Daichi Kazama" he nodded giving his full name

"Kazama, that sounds familiar, a local clan??" Iruka held his plate out, as his meal was placed on it

"No Kazama has always been a wandering clan only the head family ever settled, any way as far as I know myself and my lost brother are the last after the death of my father and later his sister, my aunt who raised me"

"Your mother? Iruka asked

"Died with the birth of my brother, when my father informed my aunt of my brother's birth he also said she had passed" sorrow was clear in Daichi's voice also a little anger he battled to hide

"How do you plan to find him, your lost brother?" another at the table asked

Daichi looked down at his half eaten meal, "unless we learn to hide it our clan has a very recognisable signature feature, If he doesn't hide it, it will be easy to find him" he smiled cheered up a little at the thought of finding his brother and finished his meal

$5$

Over the next few days as Daichi readied himself for the exams he met Iruka often, either at the ramen stand where Aki climbed all over him like a cat craving attention, the vixen had fallen for the scared chuunin in a big way. Or at the boarding house as Iruka was a friend to the owners and visited often

Every time that met, though the talks were friendly and relaxed Daichi, had the feeling Iruka was trying to get information from him, he talked about life with his aunt and as a Wandering nin but never gave the information he had a feeling Iruka was trying to dig from him, the name of his father and the village he was from and most determinedly, the identity of his brother, since he had once implied he new his brothers name

When the exams arrived he passed the first two parts easily as covert information gathering and survival were things he learnt as a young boy as those were the main type of jobs a Wandering nin was given, and the only way to earn his keep

$6$

As he stood in the hall with the ten other shinobi who had passed and hadn't backed out, he smiled, his brother had also made it, he grinned even more when they showed them the layout for the final fights in a months time, if all went well he wouldn't face his brother till the final fight

$7$

Daichi sat in the middle of a disaster zone, which was made up of the entire contents of his travailing pack, the remains of his lunch a fox and a three year old when Iruka walked into his room

Aki immediately went to say hello tripping Iruka who trying to reclaim his balance trod in a bowl of oil Daichi was using to treat and clean his kunai, fell knocking a table over as he did and ended up sat against the wall with a rather besotted fox in his lap, Haruko, the boarding house owner's daughter immediately leapt on him with one of the stray cleaning cloths yelling "Clean up" and started to wipe his face

Daichi smiled at the older man, sat with his arms rested on his knees a whetstone in one hand and a kunai in the other

"She got me twice already" he smiled "she's under orders from her mother to get who ever makes a mess to clean up, I didn't realise that meant a face wash"

From where he sat Iruka picked up the table and a peace of paper that had fallen to the floor, it was a photograph

"Is this your Aunts place?" he asked handing the photo to Daichi

Daichi nodded looking at the photo Iruka held

It showed a small group of assorted men with one blond going grey woman in the middle. All wore blank Wandering Nin forehead protectors. The woman's husky blue eyes looking proudly at the young boy stood in front of her with her hands on his shoulders. The boy was grinning broadly proud as can be with his hands supporting the blank bandana forehead protector that rested on his young brow.

"The day I was declared a Shinobi in training, I spent the next 2 years with Marac, he pointed to a big ox of a man to one side of the photo, before I could operate alone" Daichi sighed and smiled

"You remind me of one of my students at that age" Iruka looked about him "you remind me of him now" he laughed

"Come on Trouble" Daichi called to Haruko "best get this mess cleaned up, you helping?" he asked Iruka "or was there another reason to extend the amount of mess in here" he smiled

"Oh right" Iruka Hit his forehead with the heal of his hand " the Kage and representatives wish to meet you

"Not now I hope" Daichi's cheerful look was a bit forced he know this would come, what with passed events involving the Sound and other parties, most Wandering Nin had gone underground and he was the first in 5 years to try for chuunin

"No tomorrow first thing in the Hokage's office, I will escort you there, well if you survive this mess"

The pare smiled at each other and were helped or hindered by Aki and Haruko, Daichi wasn't sure which, and managed to get the place looking back to normal before the mess was discovered

Daichi settled down to his meal and to gossip with the others when Haruko's mother gave a firm clearing of her thought and pointed at a very proud Aki walking it to the room with one of his Kunai in her mouth

"I allow the fox happily but _NO_ kunai in the dining room", she pointed her ladle at him fiercely

Daichi blushed and ducked his head swiftly diapering the Kunai into his currently empty leg holster

It had been one of his Special kunai, handed down though his clan to aid with their bloodline ability, why was Aki carrying it?

$8$

Iruka stopped in a nearby ally after he had left the occupants to their meal choosing not to stop this time, he reached for his belt pouch and came up empty, the unusual kunai he had swiftly pocketed during the clean up had disappeared, he sighed he had hoped it would be one of the clues to help him discover who this young man was, he sighed and headed home

$9$

Daichi stood leaning against the doorframe waiting, watching the people of the village go about their daily lives, also trying to resist pulling on the fox's brush swaying down from the edge of the roof in front of him.

He had only been stood there half an hour when he saw the cheerful form of Iruka walking down the street chatting to another Ninja who seemed more interested in the book he was reading

"Morning Daichi" Iruka greeted him "this is a friend of mine, Kakashi"

The white haired one-eyed masked ninja looked up from his book and gave a wave and what Daichi thought was a smile but with the mask it was hard to tell

Daichi reached up to the brush and gave a light tug; it was whipped out of his hand to be replaced by a snarling set of teeth

"You Coming?" he asked her

Using Iruka's head as a step Aki leapt from the roof to the ground and proceeded to lead the way.

Falling in step beside Iurka the pair chatted their way to the Hokage tower, Kakashi following behind with his book but what nether could see was that his single eye wasn't focused on any of the words but a small wisp of blonde hair peeking out from beneath Daichi's bandana at the nape of his neck

" So you know what they want to talk to you about?" Iruka asked

"Yes I think, usually if they are impressed with how I have preformed so far the village representatives will usually try and persuade a Wandering Nin to chose their village and offer him a forehead protector baring their villages symbol, by tradition if I where it in the final part of the exam then I have chosen that village" Daichi sighed "but with a large number of Wandering and Missing Nin outcasts joining the Sound in resent years I have no idea what I will face"

"But you have done well in the exams so far" Iruka argued "and as you have said often you have no allegiance or ever plan any to the Sound only your missing brothers village"

Daichi put his hands in his pockets and walked along looking at the sky for a few moments

"If its because the villages whant to offer me a place, I just hope one of the villages offering is my brothers, because that's the only one I will take accept"

With that the small group entered the tower

Iruka had left them at the office door but Kakashi followed him in, a group of people stood around a desk, with a blond Woman in a green robe sat at an old and solid oak desk, elbows on the blotter, head rested on the interlaced fingers of her hands, before her were 4 forehead protectors, Rock, Mist, Sand and Grass, the representative of lightning was holding an extra protector in his hand taping it on the armrest of his chair

And now it starts he said to himself as the interrogation began

$10$

They all talked at him to him, at him and over him, all trying to find out more than the other. Daichi found it rather tiresome but the woman sat at the desk and the one eyed ninja were silent watching him. He felt very unnerved by them

When it was all over and nothing more could be said or asked he bowed to them all and picked up all the forehead protectors

"You will have my decision in the traditional way with that he turned to leave

"If no one minds I wish to have a privet word with him" the woman asked

"Lady Hokage" Daichi bowed once every one had left, what do you wish to ask that your counterparts did not? He smiled

"Remove your Forehead protector," she said simply

He smiled at her, so they had an idea, or even knew who he was. Well his father ant way he bowed again and turned to leave

"with all respect not yet" he called over his shoulder with a smile and disappeared in a flash and a rush of wind

$11$

Daichi sighed as he looked up at the imposing sight of the arena before him, so many thoughts running though his head

"No point in backing down now"

Daichi glanced to his left where Iruka's on eyed friend balanced on a fence and just grinned at the masked man

"You think I'm worried a bout them" he pointed to the arena

"About the fights, no. About after you are terrified" Kakasi held up his hand to stop the protests, then tossed him something from his other hand "I believe you will be wanting that… Arashi" with that the Ninja disappeared

He opened his hand to revile a forehead protector with the Hidden Leaf engraved on its face

"Well Aki" the fox had her paws up on the fence and was sniffing at where the ninja had been "Aunt said I wouldn't be able to fool the Hatake, guess she was right, lets go do this thing

$12$

Daichi, felt rather intimidated when he entered the arena, to be surrounded by those high walls and that many people made him just a little nervous, and glad his fight wasn't first, it was second. He followed those not fighting up to the waiting area and as the others proceeded to watch the grass and sand Nin in the first bout he sat back with Aki in his arms

He was no inuzuka, and has no ability to talk to or fight with Aki; but he had trained her to help in his bloodline ability

As he gently strolled her he removed the light leather collar she normally wore with a metal ring type collar engraved with the same markings as his Kunai, he clipped it in place and gently stroked her soothing himself in preparation for the fight hiding in the shadows a nondescript form in black clothing and cloak with his blank forehead protector the only thing showing he was there

$13$

His fight came and went, as did his semi final, they were tough fights but no worse than he had faced before and hr hadn't has to use his bloodline limit, the only plus was that it was one on one. As a solo Nin he had often faced ninja in teams, he smiled to himself then the only course of action was to run or hide or use his bloodline ability, he was now coward but three or Four Jonin against one technically Genin it was a no brainer.

He leaned absently on the rail as he watched the courant fight, the second of the semi finals a hidden mist Nin was facing of against a leaf Nin, a boy of 16, Daichi smiled as he watched the boy, his strength was impressive and would be tough if that fought, then grinned as the boy used a jutsu his aunt had mentioned his farther had been working on, his brother would defiantly be a tough fight if he passed this round, but when the jutsu changed, he watched in awe at the power of the move finish the battle, he was starting to get a little worried, he felt a little relieved when the proctor called a halt for the day and for the last fight to be fought on the morning of the next day

$14$

As his brother climbed back up to the platform grinning to his friends, Daichi smiled as he boosted, reminding him of the stories his Aunt had told him of his father as a youngster, he reached into his jacket and pulled out a small wrapped package, now was better than ever. He whispered a command to Aki; sat on his left shoulder giving the metal band she wore a brief touch with his fingers

She jumped from his shoulder and disappeared down the corridor, he gave her a few moments before stepping in to the group celebrating the boy's win

"Hay kid!" he called

As the boy turned to face him he paused a moment blue eyes locked with green, and he saw features so much like there fathers

"A gift" he tossed the bundle to the glaring boy "from your father" and with a single hand sign, for the first time in the presence of so many he activated the Kazama bloodline

"Shunshin no Jutsu" he whispered his green eyes locked on blue and to the watchers he seemed to disappear with out the usual smoke just a flash of chakra

$15$

But he didn't disappear, he just moved at a speed faster than the human eye could see, when moving like this if he paused for a second them moved again, he would create the phenomena that Gave the Jutsu its name, the body flicker

He came out of the Jutsu in a concealed position where he could watch the boy he left the arena with his questioning friends till they were a small way beyond it a pink haired konochi was hovering the closest to him begging him to open it, while pushing away another girl with long blond hair, Daichi smiled as the pair got in to a fight of insults while the boy looked on with a tolerating grin as if he was used to this behaviour

"What do you think I should do Sensei?" Not even looking to see the one-eyed shanobi approach from behind him, Daichi was impressed with his senses

"Don't ask me Naruto, the choice is yours and I to would like to see what he gave you" he lent against the fence "but I think this is something you may want to do somewhere else" his one eye looking at the two konochi now glaring at one another

"But where Sensei?" he asked

Kakashi looked past the group to the path a little beyond them, in the middle of it sat a familiar vixen, she looked at the group then up at the Hokage tower, he glared at the fox a moment then sighed

"Naurto, give it to me please" he held out his hand "meet me at the Hokage's office in an hour, we will open it there, and I don't trust you to open it before"

The boy reluctantly handed over the small bundle and both raced their separate directions, the boy towards the tower, Kakashi towards the ANBU offices

Daichi glared at the fox as she returned to his hiding place

"You know you have now caused me a lot more bother than I was planning on, why on earth you did that is beyond me" he sighed " I best get back it looks like I'm going to have ANBU knocking at the door soon, and I need to be ready early than planed"

$16$

Daichi stood in the entryway of the boarding house in almost the same spot where he had waited for Iruka on his last visit to the Hokage's office this time instead of relaxed he stood ready wearing a hooded cloak the hood up and hiding his face, Aki sat on his shoulder and he smiled as 2 ANBU in there whit and red masks appeared before him

"To the Hokage's office?" he asked them they nodded and fell in step silently beside him as he made his way there


End file.
